Tropical Storm Chantal not due to make landfall

More Atlantic activity expected in coming weeks

By Susan Scutti, CNN

Posted: 12:43 PM, August 21, 2019Updated: 12:43 PM, August 21, 2019

Copyright 2019 CNN

(CNN) - Chantal is churning Wednesday in the North Atlantic -- at roughly the same latitude as Philadelphia -- but the tropical storm isn't expected to have any impact on land, the National Hurricane Center said.

It is unusual for a storm to have formed this far north. But with "water temperatures running 3 to 4 (degrees Fahrenheit) above average in the North Atlantic, it's not surprising there was enough fuel for this storm," CNN meteorologist Chad Myers said.

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While Chantal is just the third named storm of the 2019 hurricane season -- and below-normal tropical activity is predicted over the next two weeks -- most forecasters expect activity to pick up in the run-up to the season's statistical peak on September 10, CNN meteorologist Judson Jones said. Conditions for tropical storms become more favorable during the roughly eight weeks around that date.

Tropical activity due to pick up by September

With maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kmh), Chantal is about 515 miles (830 km) south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. "It is expected that Chantal will become a tropical depression (Thursday) and a remnant low by Friday," forecasters said. "Given the current appearance of the system, loss of tropical cyclone status and dissipation are now forecast to occur much sooner than earlier anticipated."

Chantal's formation follows a slow hurricane season so far, tweeted Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State University specializing in Atlantic seasonal hurricane forecasts.

"The Atlantic went from July 15 - August 19 with 0 named storms - the first hurricane season to do so since 1982," he wrote, also noting that Chantal formed further north than any other tropical storm since the 1980s.

Overall, Atlantic hurricane season activity this year is expected to be above normal, with 10 to 17 named storms, including five to nine hurricanes, the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted this month. Two to four of those hurricanes are forecast to be Category 3 or stronger, with winds greater than 110 mph, experts said.

An average season has 12 named storms, with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or greater. Last year saw an above-average Atlantic hurricane season, with Hurricanes Florence and Michael slamming US coastlines with devastating effect.